Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia

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Calcium channel blockers, also called calcium antagonists, are drugs that lower blood pressure for people with hypertension. They block the movement of calcium into the heart and blood vessel muscle cells, causing the muscles to relax. This lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate and decreases oxygen demands of the heart. These drugs also are used to treat other heart conditions, such as chest pain (angina) and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

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